The Expiration Date
by LaughingSenselessly
Summary: What happens when Max's expiration date shows up? Set after the seventh book! This is my first fanfic! :D   R & R guyz! THIS STORY IS NOW COMPLETE! -dance-
1. Chapter 1

What happens when Max's expiration date shows up? Set after the seventh book.

I was showering.

I know, I know. Who are you and what have you done with Max? But it was me. I was taking a shower. Mainly because I hadn't for quite a long time.

I was a tangle of feelings, a couple weeks after the big DG showdown. I wished Fang was still with me, and still reeling from Angel's death. My baby… I only had three of them left with me. Nudge, Gazzy and Iggy. Dylan doesn't count.

I grabbed my towel and rigorously dried myself. A quick glance in the mirror told me all I needed to know about the sad state of my hair. I grabbed a comb and attempted to tug it through the snarls. No luck. Giving up, I swept my hair into a messy ponytail. But something caught my eye on the back of my neck. I leaned in for a better look. It had better not be a weird mole or I was going to kill somebody—

It was a string of numbers.

I think I stopped breathing there for a moment. My mind had shorted out. I wasn't thinking anything. I leaned on the sink, looking at the reflection of my demise.

My expiration date.

"What's wrong, Max?" Nudge's face was concerned as she turned away from the laptop. She'd been researching into the Doomsday Group as I'd instructed her. "You look kind of pale."

I was still in shock, but I gave her a weak smile. "I'm fine. Found anything out yet?"

"Not much. Just that they're regrouping, and some rumors I'm trying to figure out," Nudge replied unhappily.

I lay down on the bed, not really listening. Still brooding on the date on the back of my this how my life was going to end? A date circled on the calendar? How was this even happening to me? I remembered Ari's death. The way he'd just kind of looked… confused. Like he had no idea what was going on. He'd had a date on the back of his neck too.

I touched it again. Did the entire flock have expiration dates? I sure hoped not. I glanced around. Iggy and Gazzy were huddled together, talking in low voices. Something fishy? You bet. Yet I didn't move.

A gentle hand touched my shoulder. Dylan. Yep, he was still hanging around. Still as handsome as ever. He looked at me. "You okay?" He looked like he wanted to help. And in that moment, I wanted to say it. I wanted to say my expiration date had appeared. I felt so lonely, suffering this pain by myself (Wow, I really _was_ getting softer!). I wanted to be comforted.

I don't know why I didn't tell him. Maybe I just didn't want them to worry. Maybe I wanted them to enjoy the rest of the time they had with me, and worry about this later. Maybe I was just a coward.

Whichever it was, I just said, "Yeah."

_Do what you need to do, Max, _The Voice told me vaguely.

_Thanks for the tip, Voice_, I thought back sarcastically. _I'm going to die soon, and that's what you have to tell me?_

The Voice offered no reply.

I closed the house's door quietly behind me. Dylan and my flock did not need to know about this. I unfurled my wings and flew powerfully, using my warp speed to get far away. Then I landed in a familiar tree and pulled out my cell phone. Dialed Fang's number.

My hands shook as I waited. I wanted someone to know. But that person had to be Fang. He was the one who had to take care of my kids once I was gone. My hands shook harder at the thought of my expiration date.

"Yo."

I swallowed hard at the sound of his voice. "Fang?"

A brief pause. I plunged on. "It's me, Max."

"I could tell." There was a questioning note to his groggy voice, silently asking why I was randomly calling in the middle of the night, especially when I was still mad at him.

"Look, I have to tell you something," I said, struggling to keep my voice sounding stable. "It's urgent."

"Are you okay?" Fang asked. He sounded curious. Not concerned at all. I felt angry all over again, but kept it in check. This was business. I could not confuse business with my feelings.

I clutched the cell phone to my ear with two trembling hands. "The thing is, Fang, um… I found something out the other day. About me."

"What? What was it?" I couldn't decipher his tone now.

"My expiration date showed up." It came out in a rush, and just like that, by saying it out loud, I was admitting it. Admitting defeat. And now reality rushed at me; I was going to die, really soon, and there was nothing I could do about it. This realization nearly made me drop the phone for some reason, but I managed to grip it.

Dead silence. Then: "_What_?" He didn't sound tired anymore. Wide awake now.

"I… I know." I swallowed back tears. "And so I just… I just want…" My voice broke, and I tried to pull myself together. I failed miserably.

"Max, are you serious?"

I swallowed again. "Yeah."

Dead silence on the phone.

"I want you to take over the flock once I'm gone," I said, congratulating myself on how steady my voice sounded. "They'll need a leader."

Fang sighed. "_Max_."

I shivered at the sound of his voice. I'd tried my absolute best ever since he'd left in France to lock down my emotions—I'd long realized that Max + happiness = no one else happy.

He sounded pained now. "This is bad. Really bad."

"You think?"

"Have you told the flock?"

"No. I'm not going to tell them."

"Why in hell not?" Fang asked angrily. "Don't you think they deserve to know?"

I blinked tears back again. "I just want them to be happy."

Silence. Then, "You think too much about other people's happiness, Max."

I was angry again. How could he say that? I'd wanted him to stay with the flock—that had been for my happiness. And yeah, it might make me a bit less sad to know that I wasn't the only one knowing about my soon-to-come death, but I knew this was something that would only put the flock into more sadness. Especially after Ange—

"Look," I said quietly. "I want to meet with you guys. For the last few days. But you're not allowed to tell them anything!"

"You're not in charge of me, Max. The kids deserve to know. Does Superboy know?" He demanded.

"No!" I retorted. "_Dylan_ doesn't know. He'd probably throw himself off a cliff."

"He'll do it either way," Fang said, with a smirk I swear I could hear over the phone.

"Let's not talk about that," I said. "I just want us all to be together again, for one last time." I gave him a time and place.

He sighed heavily. "I'm not happy about it," he said. I wasn't sure if he was talking about the time and place, or my expiration date, or my refusal to tell the flock, or maybe just about me.

"See you then," I said, attempting casual and failing, mainly because my voice broke again.


	2. Chapter 2

The flock had cheered madly when I told them that we were going to see Fang and his gang again. It was just something nice among everything bad in our lives. Like Ang- No. I wouldn't think of her.

"Hey," said Dylan, sidling up next to me. He didn't seem to upset by the news- he probably figured that we were together now, no matter what. Since Fang had ditched me for my own _clone_. New lows.

I managed a small smile. I wanted to tell him about my expiration date, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to bear his pain. His life was literally centered around mine- what would happen when I died? He'd be crushed, poor guy.

His Caribbean blue eyes searched mine. "Is something wrong?" He sounded concerned again, and he took my hand. His was softer than mine, since he'd been in far less battles. I squeezed his hand. "I'm fine," I replied in what I hoped was a convincing tone.

Before I had to say anything else reassuring, Gazzy burst in. "Man," he yawned. "Why's it so hot in here?" He waited a beat, and when neither of us said anything, he cackled and answered his own joke. "Cuz Dylan's igniting Max's fire!" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at us. It was lame, as far as jokes went, but it still made me go beet red.

"Shut up, or I'll make you stay here while the rest of us go see Fang!" I snapped. I felt Dylan tense beside me but ignored it. "You know it's not like that."

Gazzy shrugged, already bored. "When are we going?" he asked, his wide blue eyes questioning.

"Now," I replied, shouldering my backpack. "Is Nudge ready?"

Gazzy shrugged, jamming his hands in his cargo shorts pockets. "She's trying to do something with her hair, I think." He sauntered away, yelling Nudge's name.

Dylan and I walked into the kitchen. We were still hanging out at my mom's place in Arizona, even though, as far as we could tell, she'd never come back. I hated to think that she might be a traitor. Jeb, I could handle. My mom? It broke my heart.

Iggy came in, trying to shove his gigantic feet into Gazzy's shoes fruitlessly. I sighed and plucked the shoes away from him. "I _told_ you to get different shoes than Gazzy did, but did you listen? _Nooo_."

Iggy shot me a poisonous look. I still got astonished when he could direct his gaze at me like that, even when he was blind. Nudge and Gazzy stomped in, yelling loudly at each other. I rolled my eyes at them. "Quit it, you two!"

I looked at Dylan. "Ready to go?"

He nodded, looking kind of sad. So I'd been wrong- he was affected by this visiting-Fang thing. He'd just tried to hide it, but now I saw the emotion on his face. I squeezed his hand and blurted something I'd never thought- I'd never even imagined _saying_-

"Don't worry. It's over, between me and Fang. You and I are a thing."


	3. Chapter 3

Fang drummed his fingers on the table, feeling nervous. He and his gang were sitting at the ol' rendezvous point Max had described- a city park, at midnight. Beside him, Maya watched him closely.

"So, why are we meeting with _her_ again?" The way Maya mentioned Max implied her disgust of the girl she'd been cloned from.

Fang shrugged, feigning nonchalance. After his phone call with Max, he realized, with a leap of anxiety, that Maya might have one as well. But then he remembered what an Itex scientist had mentioned when Maya and Max had duked it out a long time ago- something about "kill the old one- she has an expiration date!" From which he could almost be certain that Maya didn't have one. **(Check the second book guys- this is actually in the fight scene! :D**)

Close to him, Ratchet was attempting to impress Kate with his jokes, which were, frankly, pretty lame. "Yo' momma's so fat, even Dora couldn't explore her!" he said to Holden, then shot a look at Kate, who looked repulsed. Star rolled her eyes, looking bored.

Maya's shoulder touched his briefly as she shifted in her seat, and the small touch sent lightning around Fang's body. He still couldn't get the hang of the fact that Maya was so much like the girl he'd been with and loved for so long, and it was hard to remember sometimes that this was a totally different person.

"Isn't that them?" Ratchet said suddenly. Fang squinted at the night sky but saw nothing. Not that he expected to; Ratchet's senses far exceeded his. A moment later, though, he saw what he was talking about. In the sky, five figures were slowly growing larger and more defined. Fang sighed. Superboy- Dylan- was still hanging around with them, eh?

Max landed first, her maple syrup brown hair tousled, sharp brown eyes taking in the surroundings, her slim body tensed. When her eyes went over Fang, she visibly relaxed. Nudge flapped down a moment later, followed by Dylan, The Gasman, and Iggy.

"Fang," Max acknowledged. Her eyes were hard. "Maya." God, she looked exactly the same. Well, she'd trimmed her hair some, but other than that, she was the same. And just as breathtakingly beautiful as he remembered.

Of course, Maya looked exactly the same. And the good thing with Maya was, she wasn't as hard, as tough-enough as Max. Less obnoxious- a definite plus.

The flock strode forward, sitting down at the picnic table across from Fang's gang. Dylan nodded to Fang. Max gave a subtle nod to the others; Nudge gave Fang a huge grin and hug. "I miss you _sooo_ much," she chattered. "Yesterday, Gazzy almost set a house fire 'cuz he was testing some new explosives n' stuff and- "

"We did _not_!" Gasman protested. "Not even close!"

"Don't exaggerate," Iggy added. "It wasn't even a blaze."

Max rolled her eyes, a very small smile lifting one side of her full mouth. Just like how Maya did it. And vice versa.

Dylan sat next to Max, their shoulders barely touching. Max didn't move away. "Anything new?" Max asked, her voice guarded. She'd never guarded her voice before around Fang. He supposed this was just another sign of their growing apart. Unfortunate, really.

"Why are we even meeting?" Maya asked in reply. Max glared at her. "I just thought we could spend some time together. We're going to have to _work_ together to defeat the Doomsday Group."

Dylan made a noise of agreement. Fang felt like punching him, but according to Dr. Gunther Hagen, Dylan was a lot stronger, quicker, and all around better fighter than him. Unless that serum Dr. God injected Fang with (that had nearly killed him) had actually worked. Well, Fang wasn't about to test it.

"So," said Fang finally, after a long silence. "We've got hotel rooms. Not far from here. Shall we go?"

"Lets," Max said. The way she looked at him made him feel... empty? Like she was looking at him the way she'd look at any stranger, not the way she used to look at him, her chocolate eyes warm and open. She was closed off. Again.

And with the new relationships going on, Fang was pretty sure she'd never be open to him again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the reviews so far guys! R&R! And don't worry AnikaandAj, I'm a fax fan forever!**

Fang, playing the gracious host, had booked all of us rooms. Not in a hotel, as he'd previously claimed, but a shabby inn. Still, to our low standards, this place was right up there. Nudge and I shared a room with a queen size bed.

"Take a _shower_, Max," Nudge had insisted. "You smell like..." her nose wrinkled. "Crap."

"Thanks," I'd replied sarcastically, but did so anyway.

Now I was scrubbing the grime off my body under a hot stream of water, and trying to decipher what I'd said to Dylan. Had I meant it? Or was it just a spur of the moment thing? Dylan's eyes had lit up, and while I had been blushing furiously, he'd kissed me. I had then proceeded to threaten to kill the flock if they let out a peep about the whole thing. I _so_ did not need Fang knowing about it.

_Why_? The Voice, normally silent these days, spoke up.

_Why what_? I thought back innocently.

I could almost hear the Voice sighing in frustration. _You know, Max. You have to figure out your feelings in order to move on with Dylan._

_Thanks! Any more obvious tips to give me_? I thought snidely. I got no answer; not that I'd been expecting to.

I finished up my shower, no nearer in my quest to figure out Dylan or Fang, and pulled on a tank top and pyjama bottoms. Nudge was already in bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"What's up?" I asked, brushing my hair back with one hand so she wouldn't see the expiration date. I lay down next to her and turned off the light.

"I don't know," Nudge exhaled. Her beautiful eyes looked sad. "These days... the whole flock is 's like we're not even a flock anymore. And..."

"And?" I whispered. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I would soon be gone too.

"I wish..." she trailed off, mumbling.

I got a very sudden and unwelcome blast from the past. When Ari had said those words to me. And I knew what Nudge was talking about. She wasn't wishing that we were in a five star hotel. She wasn't wishing that I would stop being a wuss these days. She wasn't even wishing that things would be the way they'd been right before Fang left us, one of the happiest times of my life but not hers. She was wishing things would be the way they'd been when we were on the run. Sure; we'd been hungry. Hell yeah, we'd been tired. Of course, we'd been running for our lives.

But we'd been together. Properly, I mean.

When Angel was alive, and things were uncomplicated between Fang and I, and Dylan wasn't around... Even with all the bad in our lives then, it had somehow been so complete. So happy.

We lay in silence for a while, and I wrapped one arm around her. I wasn't sure if she was asleep, but I whispered into the darkness what I'd said to Ari, so long ago, a few days before he'd died.

"We all wish."  
>~~~<p>

Something touched my shoulder lightly in the middle of the night. I awoke instantly, punching thin air and completely alert. "Wha-?"

Fang stood in the shadows of the dark room. I checked the clock- only a couple hours after I'd fallen asleep. Nudge was still in a deep slumber. I climbed out of bed, disengaging my arms from Nudge, and crossed my arms. "What the hell?" I whispered angrily.

Fang was looking goddamn handsome somehow, while I probably looked like a raccoon had attacked my hair. He probably hadn't even gone to sleep yet. His short hair looked slightly tousled, but it was a good look- _Nooo_. I wouldn't think about him.

His dark eyes looked almost amused at my anger. "We need to talk."

"We need to sleep," I replied, not keen on having a one-to-one with him, in which he would probably grill me about my expiration date- Something I didn't want to talk about, since I was basically in denial. "And how'd you get in here anyway, you creep?"

He smiled the crooked half smile that made my heart beat a little faster and held up the key to our room. I stifled a gasp and fingered my own key. There'd only been two keys and I'd given one to-

"Nudge." I groaned. "You snatched it off Nudge, did you? Why couldn't you just be a normal person and knock?"

"I thought we might like a little privacy," he replied, and then gestured to the window. "Let's go. Find some place to talk."

There was no shooing him away now, I could tell in his eyes. I sighed. "Fine. For a few minutes I'll endure talking to you." Some emotion passed through his eyes for a millisecond, something I couldn't decipher and frankly, didn't have the energy to. I opened the window and jumped out nimbly, allowing myself to plummet for a few heart-stopping seconds before I unfurled my wings.

_Whoosh_. I didn't look behind to see if Fang had followed me; just soared up into the sky, enjoying the feel of air rushing past me, being off the ground and in the dark, vast sky. In the corner of my eye I saw his silhouette pass across the moon, flying several yards away.

I spied a tall building a few minutes later, and with unspoken agreement we angled down to the rooftop. I hit the ground running, and left my wings spread out to cool off.

"So."

I turned around to face him. He was closer than I'd anticipated; a few feet away. "Yeah."

"Can I see it?"

I knew what he was talking about. The string of numbers printed across my neck. I nodded and turned, folding my wings in.

I felt my breath catch as his smooth hand lifted my hair away from my neck; and his fingers brushing softly over the skin there made shock waves go through my body. He swore under his breath as he saw it but didn't move away. I didn't either. I was enjoying this so much. And I could feel him leaning closer, his warm breath tickling my neck, and his clean Fang smell took every other smell of the setting away. All I heard was his breath, all I smelled was his aroma. All I felt was his long fingers. And I suddenly was overpowered by an urge to turn around and kiss him- to feel his skin even closer.

Thankfully, before I could, he pulled away and stepped back. I was suddenly embarrassingly aware that I was breathing raggedly. I counted to five, getting my bearings and trying not to feel disappointed. I turned around then.

His obsidian eyes were inscrutable. "This sucks."

"I know," I sighed. "Does this mean that you have one? That the flock has one?" I asked. "We're all going to die once we're, like, almost sixteen?"

Fang shook his head slowly. "I don't know what this means." He looked at me again. "I just don't want... the flock... to lose you." I wasn't sure if he included himself in 'the flock'.

"Well, it's inevitable now," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "The only thing we can do now is try and make sure that you guys never have to go through this." I gestured to my neck.

He looked at me, and I tried to figure his gaze out. But, as usual, all I saw was my own reflection. And my hair was as messy as I'd feared.

"You shouldn't have to go through it either," he said in a low voice, a voice that made my insides flutter. "But there's one thing we need to do tomorrow."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"You need to tell the others about your... expiration date." He sounded pained at those last two words. "They should know. They'd be happier in the long run knowing it now rather than when... it's too late."

I crossed my arms. "Nuh-uh. Not going to happen, Fang!"

"Why not?"

I considered giving some BS answer but decided to tell the truth at this point. "I... I can't," I confessed. "I just can't stand seeing them sad. Not after everything else that's happened." We both thought of Angel.

"You need to tell them," Fang said urgently. "How do you think they would feel afterwards? That they never got to say goodbye? That they never knew because _you_ were too selfish to tell them!"

My anger erupted. "I'm selfish? You dirtbag! I don't think that our last time together would be happy if they knew I was about to die!"

A slight pause. Then, without warning, Fang surged forward and grabbed my shoulders, and got right in my face. Our noses almost brushed each other, and our bodies were oh-so-close. "You'll tell them, because they'll be miserable _forever_ if you don't. Wouldn't you be? So you'll tell everyone. Tomorrow. Will you?"

I opened my mouth, and gasped "Yes!" think I mostly said it because I was startled of our sudden close proximity.

He let go suddenly, looking strangely relieved. "Good. Let's go back." He turned half way, then turned back to look at me. "And Max..."

I swallowed, recovering. "Um, yeah?"

He sighed, and right then, I could almost read what he was thinking. The pain. "This hits everyone hard, Max. Including me." Then he jumped, before I could respond, whipped out his gorgeous black wings, and soared so high I couldn't see him anymore.

My mind whirred as I flew back. And he had meant by that what exactly...?

Would I _ever_ know what he was thinking, damn it?

**-duh duh duhhh-**

**I've got some twists planned for this story! Keep Reading and reviewing! Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everybody! Just so you know, I changed my pen name to LaughingSenselessly because... I felt like it. So don't be like WTH/WTF (depending on the severity of your swearing vocabulary) when ya see it.**

The inn's continental breakfast consisted of a box of stale bagels and fun-size packages of butter and cream cheese, and we all fell on it like hyenas. The staff member on duty looked pretty alarmed when we finished off the fifth box, and was probably thinking of charging us more. We took off pretty quick then.

Because of Fang's ground-bound members, we couldn't fly, and that was enough in itself to make me grumpy. What made me grumpier was Maya and Fang talking to each other. I mean, honestly! Plus, it painfully reminded me of days when Fang and I had been like that, leaders of the flock and best friends. Now, I was watching Maya take my place. As we walked, and Maya laughed- God, I don't laugh _that_ high-pitched, do I?- I clenched my fists, feeling my anger starting to build.

And without any outlet, I was going to explode pretty soon.

"Max." I turned my head to see Dylan's warm blue eyes. "So where are we going? And why are we here anyway?"

I gulped, remembering my promise to Fang last night. "We're just looking for some place to hang, I think. I, uh-" I looked away, "have something to say when we get there."

Dylan shrugged. "Okay." He grinned, and his adorable smile made my heart all aflutter. For God's sake, why was I so lovey-dovey emotional these days? I needed to get a grip. Now. He lowered his voice so it wouldn't reach the others. "As long as we're together, it'll be okay."

Unfortunately, Dylan hadn't thought of the fact that Ratchet could hear _whispers_ from miles away, so Dylan's romantic comment was probably like speaker feedback to his ears. Ratchet glanced at us from where he was walking with Star, giving me a weird look, and I felt myself blush furiously.

Dylan didn't seem to see this, just smiled to himself and squeezed my hand. I squeezed back halfheartedly.

"Are we going to plan how we're gonna take down the DG?" Iggy asked suddenly. I was suddenly glad for some reason that he couldn't see me holding Dylan's hand. I obviously had some issues to work out here.

"No," I replied shortly.

Iggy grinned. "That's my favourite type of plan-The no prior planning plan!"

"No, as in we're not talking about DG right now," I said back. "We're just looking for some place quiet to chill."

Just then, Fang glanced behind him. His face instantly darkened at the sight of me and Dylan, but he didn't say anything about it. Even though I was supposedly over him, I still felt guilty. He just nodded his head to a small field of abandoned grass- large enough for everyone to sit comfortably on, though. I nodded back; we'd walking to the edge of the small town and there wasn't a lot of people around.

After the group had settled into the grass, I wrenched my hand from Dylan's and stood to face the group, mainly my flock.

I took a deep breath. Beforehand, I'd mentally prepared a speech to hopefully dull the effect of delivering my news. But now, looking at their expectant faces, I decided it was best to just get it over with.

"My expiration date showed up," I said with my usual subtlety. "A couple days ago." And then, because my throat had decided to block on me, I just turned around and lifted my hair. I heard a few sharp intakes of breath behind me.

I turned back. There was a small pause of silence. Then Nudge burst into tears and ran to hugged me tightly. I hugged her back, fighting back my own traitorous tears. I stroked her hair for a moment, then lifted my gaze to look at everyone else's reactions.

Gazzy's face crumpled, and he looked down, trying to be strong, but there was no stopping the tears that leaked out. Iggy put his face in his hands. The earth-bound members of Fang's gang looked sympathetic. Maya looked totally shocked. Fang looked... like, well, Fang. No expression change whatsoever. That had been expected.

What hadn't been expected was Dylan's _wail_. It could only be described as a wail- He wasn't shouting or anything, just expressing his pain. Oh god, I felt so bad for him. I felt more sympathy for him than I did for myself.

Dylan's hands were tightly clenched in his hair, his blue eyes searching me. "_Nooo_!" He wailed, and leaped up. Before I could say anything- not that I'd had anything planned to say- He'd launched himself into the sky, his magnificent dark brown wings flapping him higher and higher, and he soared off into the distance as I watched.

I'd braced myself to have him weep, hug me, kiss me, or just stand there and ask me if it were all real. I hadn't prepared what would happen if he just took off. I'd never thought he'd be the type to run away from a problem, but apparently I was wrong. I shook my head; I had other people, people I'd known far longer, who cared about me and I had to answer to them.

"Why is this happening? What's going to happen to us?" Gazzy cried, coming closer to take my other hand that wasn't wrapped around Nudge.

I stroked Nudge's hair, making sure my hands didn't tremble. After I'd gotten a grip, I spoke in my best Mother Max voice. "Fang will take care of you all. You don't need to worry. He'll take care of you. It'll be just the same. You won't even notice I'm not there."

Nudge pulled back for a moment to look me in the face. Her face was tear stained and splotchy, and I tenderly wiped away a tear rolling down her mocha-coloured cheek. "You lie so well," she said, her lip trembling.

I didn't want to see her expressive eyes anymore, so I pushed her head back into my chest. So I wouldn't have to see them. I glanced over to the rest of the group, sitting somberly. "Go... go find some place for lunch," I said as steadily as I could to Fang. "I'm going to try and find Dylan."

His face gave nothing away, really, but I knew him so well I could read the tightening of the skin around his eyes and the slight wrinkle between his eyebrows. "You do that," he replied flatly.

I disengaged myself from my flock's arms, and whipped my wings out. "I'll go, then," I said briskly, trying to keep myself strong. I would cry when I was alone, flying.

And so, without giving a look back, I jumped and flew into the morning sky.

**R & R guys! More chapters coming soon! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

Dylan flew above the clouds, feeling numb of cold or anguish or both, he couldn't tell. He wiped his face with his sleeve. He couldn't believe it- his life's purpose was about to be destroyed, right after he'd gotten it.

Max.

Max, and her expiration date! He couldn't even _imagine_ a world that Max didn't exist in. Maybe no world existed after Max. Either way, Dylan didn't think he could go on without her.

Max, and her beautiful chocolate eyes.

And her silky brown-blonde hair.

And her lean body.

And her colourful streaked wings, so powerful yet graceful.

Her laugh, tinkling like a wind chime and making the world seem brighter.

Her smile.

Max.

The only reason Dylan wasn't making plans to jump off the nearest cliff wings tucked in, when Max died, was because he'd had an idea.

And that idea was Dr. Gunther-Hagen. He was sure he'd be able to find the doctor, and the doctor would be able to cure Max of the expiration date. Because no matter what Dr. G-H had done to him, done to the flock, he still thought of him as an invincible fatherly figure.

And he'd make sure Max didn't die. The doctor was smart- Dylan was almost certain he'd have some way to figure this out. So now, he was following some built-in instinct he hadn't even realized he had, that told him where the doctor was.

Dylan flew, following the sense, until he had an urge to go down. So he did, dipping through the clouds and lower to land. _There_, he thought. _That building. He's in there_, _and I'll find him_.

He flew closer, still miles away, and he finally caught sight of the building's name.

THE DOOMSDAY GROUP- UTAH HEADQUARTERS

**I know this is a short chapter guys- so hopefully I'll upload one more today. R & R! Thanks for the reviews so far, I've read them all. If you have any constructive criticism, I'm totally open too!**


	7. Chapter 7

**So I've got some people asking whether this is a fax story. I'm fairly sure I wrote the answer a few chapters ago, but in case you didn't catch it, yes this is fax. :) Dylan's okay, I guess, but him and Max are like oil and water, ya know? They don't mix. Anyway.**

"What do you think happened to that Dylan kid?" Maya asked Fang. He shrugged, thinking that the appropriate response would be "Who cares?". He didn't say anything, though.

Maya quickly lost interest in the topic. "I can't believe she's gotten an expiration date. Can you?"

Fang said nothing.

"Sheesh, will you talk?" Maya laughed, the laugh Fang loved. He smiled slightly, but it was almost painful to. She quickly lost her grin as well as she studied Fang. "Did you know about this beforehand?"

"No," Fang lied.

Maya studied him for a moment more, and finally seemed to accept his answer. "Huh." Max probably wouldn't have. She would have pursued it, asking if he was lying. But Maya wasn't like that. She was a lot more laid back.

Night had fallen; it was around nine o' clock. Before Fang had gone for a walk with Maya, the group had found a great restaurant to eat at, a restaurant the flock normally would have been excited about. But not today. Today, Gazzy had pushed his food around his plate, Nudge had dabbed her eyes on a napkin the whole time, and Iggy had just... sat there, his eyes looking more empty than usual. Fang had tried his best to comfort them, but he was no Max when it came to the flock. Max could be a great mother.

And other times, she could be a soul mate.

The thought had randomly popped into Fang's head, and he tried to push it away as he Maya rounded another corner and headed back to the restaurant but couldn't. God, Max was so... complicated. Probably the most complex person he'd ever met. And with so many personalities.

One moment she was strong, the next moment she was vulnerable. One moment she was emotionless, the next she was expressive. One moment she was hateful, the next she was compassionate. One moment she was violent, the next moment unwilling to kill. One moment clumsy, the next graceful. One moment she was a mother, the next she was a... soul mate. Well, not to him. Not anymore, probably not ever.

Maya was different.

She had one personality, and Fang could expect what she might do or say. He'd never been able to predict what Max would do, because she was so... Dynamic.

"You're thinking about something," Maya observed. "That's a first."

And yet Maya was the _same_.

It was all confusing, and Fang pushed his feelings away. He offered Maya a very small smile. She tilted her head, smiling back.

A strand of hair fell over her face. The colour of her hair was... was... dirty blond. That was the only thing Fang could think of to describe the colour, yet it was grossly inadequate to describe the beauty of it. He couldn't help himself. He pushed the runaway strand behind her ear.

They'd stopped in the middle of the sidewalk at this point, just staring at each other. Maya's face was unreadable, her eyes soft and welcoming. Fang had no idea what he looked like, but he was gazing at Maya and couldn't seem to wrench himself away.

He didn't realize how close they were until a truck's horn blared and they both sprang away from each other. Maya laughed shakily, avoiding his gaze. Fang coughed.

Luckily, he was spared from saying anything because he spotted a figure in the sky, flying the same way that Maya did. Max was back.

She landed in a tree far enough away to avoid too much suspicion, and jumped down and strode over. Her hair was blown around by the wind, her cheeks pink. She'd probably been flying in overdrive for a while.

"I couldn't find him," she said, her eyes downcast. "I don't know where he is." She angrily wiped a tear in her eye away. "They're in this restaurant, right?" Without waiting for an answer, she walked away from them and into the restaurant.

"God, she's moody," commented Maya, crossing her arms. "Shall we go in?" She smiled up at Fang. She was beautiful, he mused. Not so hard, like Max was. Unassuming, while Max was suspicious of everyone. Even herself, sometimes.

"Yeah," he nodded. It was dark around them; only a few cars moving around. Very suddenly, Maya reached up and kissed his cheek. Very softly. Sat back on her heels, smiling shyly but sweetly. Fang felt this face heat up; he could feel where she'd put her lips like it was a burn. He didn't know what to think.

"Let's go, then," Maya said softly. They finally went into the restaurant, and nobody would be able to tell that Fang's mind was whirling.

**R & R guys! I know this chapter is kinda just Fang and Maya but the next few chapters are makin' this interesting. And you'll soon find out what Dylan was doing at the DG Utah headquarters**.** Thanks guys, I couldn't do this without you! :D**


	8. Chapter 8

I sat, rubbing Nudge's back as she cried against my shoulder. Gazzy and Iggy had long since ran out of tears and now they just tried to get as close to me as possible. Everyone was inside the restaurant, a couple minutes before closing time, sitting quietly. Except Fang and Maya. I didn't know what they were doing; for all I knew, they could be having a hot make-out session outside. I shuddered at the thought. Fang had replaced his best friend, but he wouldn't replace his girlfriend.

Would he?

"Why don't you have some more soup, Iggy?" I coaxed. "It's probably getting cold."

Iggy mumbled something that sounded like "tastes like crap." The waiter walking by shot him a nasty look. But, as usual, it was wasted on him.

I took a sip of it, and it didn't taste all that bad. "The soup is good. Gazzy? Nudge?"

"I'd give up all the soup in the world for you not to die," Nudge declared, her voice muffled against my t-shirt.

"All the _food_ in the world," added Gazzy. This was certainly something, coming from him. I didn't know what to say.

My thoughts drifted to my long flight today. I'd looked around the area and even a bit farther, hoping to see Dylan in a tree or something, safe and sound. I hadn't, and that worried me. I'd also bawled my eyes out on the trip, hating to see the flock in such pain. They were practically my children, and their mother had just told them she was checking out.

"So, like, you're going to die?" Ratchet said suddenly. Kate elbowed him. "Be _sensitive_!" she snapped. I spotted Fang and Maya enter the restaurant. Finally. Maya looked... I don't know. I couldn't quite decipher it.

"Yeah," I replied, trying to appear nonchalant. "But it'll be okay. Nobody needs me anymore." I said this more to my flock than to Fang and his group.

"That's not true at all," Iggy said. "You're just saying that. I can't believe this. Can anybody believe this?" He looked around as if he could see everyone. "Exactly."

"Max," Nudge sighed. "We _love_ you. Please don't die."

I choked on the spoonful of soup I'd just gulped. I had to be strong, I reminded myself. "I'll try, Nudge. But I don't know."

There was a long silence, in which I peeked at Maya and Fang. Fang looked as if the conversation was physically paining him. Maya stared at the table for a long time, and finally she said, "I think the restaurant's closing. Shouldn't we go? Find some place to stay?"

Everyone muttered agreements. I didn't like the fact that Maya had just called the shot and added my own bit to make myself feel more leaderly. "Yes, we should."

Maya shot me a glare but said nothing. Everyone stood up, chairs scraping and money put on the table for the food. Fang left a tip for the waiter. We went outside, and it was cooler now.

Nobody said anything as we meandered around the town, looking for another inn. We were all too exhausted and miserable, me most of all since I'd caused it. But I still noticed the closeness between Maya and Fang. She was walking a little too close to him for my liking, their shoulders bumping from time to time.

And Fang didn't move away. I ground my teeth, clenching Nudge's hand. She looked up at me questioningly, but didn't comment. I couldn't believe this. I was going to _die_, and Fang was moving in on my clone? He didn't hate me that much, did he, that he would knowingly try and hurt me like that? Did he even _know_ that he was hurting me?

Because it hurt. A lot. No matter how I tried to deny it. It was like every time I saw Maya and Fang together my heart was breaking all over again. I felt tears stinging my eyes and pushed them back, hating how weepy and fragile I was these days.

While I was trying to figure out Fang's relationship with Maya, we rounded a street corner and nearly bumped into someone.

Dylan. And you wouldn't believe who was with him.

Dr. Gunther-Hagen.

That was enough to make my jaw drop. But you wouldn't believe who was trotting beside _him_.

_Angel_.

**I'm not going to be able to update tomorrow so I thought I'd give you another chapter to chew on. And yes, you will find out why and how Angel was with Dylan and what happened with Dylan at the Doomsday facility in Utah.**

**R & R!**


	9. Chapter 9

I think my jaw might have been touching the ground. Everyone was silent, just staring at each other.

Ignoring Dr. Scary completely, I turned to Dylan, feeling slightly suspicious. "Dylan? Is this... Angel? My Angel? Not, like, a clone or something?" My voice sounded weak, and I mentally cursed it.

His smile could have lit up the whole world. "It is. It's her. But- "

I was already hurrying toward her, all suspicion gone out the window. "I thought you were dead!" I exclaimed, embracing her tightly, and I heard my flock crowd around us, all trying to simultaneously trying to hug her. I started to cry as I spoke. "But you're alive, and -"

"Who are you?" Angel asked abruptly.

We pulled back to to look at her. Her baby blue eyes were curious, naive, and innocent. Like a seven year old.

"-her memory's been wiped," Dylan finished. I don't know what he saw on my face but he added quickly, "but the damage isn't permanent, not yet. We'll get her back."

Sadly, that was all I needed for reassurance. "Angel," I whispered into her hair as the others reached out around me, trying to touch Angel, to see if she were real. "I can't believe it."

"Who are you?" Angel asked again. This brought about a pang in my chest, but I cleared my throat and said, "I'm Max."

"I want to talk to her!" Gazzy howled. "She's _my_ sister!"

I got out of the way, partly because of the flock's eagerness to see Angel and partly because it hurt to look at her, not knowing who I was. I turned to Dylan instead.

"And you found her!" Right then it didn't matter how, because the point was that he had. What I did next was uncalled for. And I would mentally slap myself for doing it for weeks and weeks after.

I grabbed Dylan and kissed him. Right on the lips. He responded, kissing me back in that sweet way of his. I didn't feel any sort of romantic attraction to him at that moment; I was simply immensely happy, and wanting to express it, and he'd been the person closest to me. So he got it.

_It could have as easily been Fang, then_, noted my Voice. I ignored it, but the mention of Fang made me realize that he was _here_. Watching this.

Feeling guilty for God knows why, I broke off the kiss a second after I'd started it, coughing, and went back to Angel, who for once was acting like a seven year old, looking shy and uncertain. Dr. Hunka Bunka was watching me with interest, and I felt my cheeks burn. He probably thought me and Dylan were well on the way to... _mating_. Ick.

"So you're Max," Angel said slowly, pointing to Maya. "Is that short for Maxine?" I felt like a was being stabbed with a white-hot piece of metal.

Maya looked repulsed. "No way. I'm Maya. _That_'s Max," she added pointing at me.

"And it's short for Maximum. My name is Maximum Ride," I said weakly.

She smiled at me, a big toothy grin that made me want to break down. "That's a cool name. I like it. You're twins, then?" I shrugged, not wanting to talk about it.

Meanwhile, Gazzy was outraged. "You don't remember _me_? I'm your brother!"

Angel looked surprised. "I don't remember much. My oldest memory is waking up in a... room. I've never left that room until now." She looked around in wonder. "If you're my brother, does that mean you have wings?"

Gazzy looked heartbroken. I pulled him to my chest and stroked his hair. "Yeah, we have wings," I said. Yes! My voice was steady.

"You _all_ do?"

"No," Iggy said. "I do, and Max, and Gaz, and Nudge, and Fang, and... Maya."

We all kind of stood in silence for a minute, thinking. I was overjoyed to have Angel back, but troubled by her disappeared memory, plus Dr. Frankenstein's sudden appearance. I crossed my arms. "Let's find a motel. Then you three are going to tell us everything."

Dylan shrugged, unconcerned. I noticed the doctor was standing really close to him. Probably he thought that if one of us tried to attack him, Dylan would protect him or something.

"Let's go, then," I said, giving Fang a meaningful look that said _keep an eye on Dr. G-H_. He nodded. 

**I know what you're thinking. OMGMAXWHY'DYOUKISSDYLAN,ESPECIALLYINFRONTOFFANG. You're probably also doubting my claims that this is a fax story. You may possibly want to kill me. Allow me to explain- I think that JP is going to have Max w/Dylan before she goes w/Fang in the last book. That's my prediction. So, I'm trying to make my story realistic, something that JP would write.. does that make sense? Anyway. Just review the chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Okay, we'll start with you, Dylan," I said, feeling like an interrogator. And liking it. We were sitting in the room I was sharing with Nudge and... Angel. We'd gotten two beds, mainly because I would feel weird sleeping in the same bed as the girl who thought I was a complete stranger. Awkward central. Initially, the doctor had finally spoke up and suggested that Dylan and I get one room together. He quickly shut up when I threatened to behead him and stick the result on a pole.

Which, now that I thought about it, was pretty gross.

Fang's earth-bound members had opted to sleep instead, since they really didn't have anything to do with any of the people I was interrogating. So my flock, Fang and Maya, sat looking at Angel, Dr. Gung Ho, and Dylan.

"I was trying to find Dr. Gunther-Hagen," Dylan said openly, "because I think he can save you. I think he can make sure you don't die."

Okaaaay... So evidently Dylan had taken an uncalled for and unexpected trip to Crazyland. I nodded like this made sense. "So how'd you find him? And Angel?"

He told me. This is what I gathered from his words: He had some sort of weird sense built into him that allowed him to find the doc. A new skill maybe? Anyway, he'd tracked him down to... the Utah Doomsday facility. Apparently, there had been a bunch of armed guards at the door, but since Dylan was a badass bird kid, he'd taken them down, along with some of those creepy kids who had been brainwashed. And he found Dr. G-H...

In a _lounge_. Drinking, like coffee. At the Doomsday Group place. And he'd smiled, like he'd expected him- Dylan shot Dr. Haagen Daaz a suspicious look- which was impossible, of course. Dylan asked him why in hell he was working for the DG and of course the doc wouldn't give him a straight answer. Giving up, Dylan had then told him his insane theory that maybe he could save me. The doc had agreed to come along on the Insane bandwagon, and they'd headed out, Dylan schooling all the guards that got in the way. As they were passing, Dylan had noticed a door that said AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. So of course he kicked it in and poked around inside, while I assumed Hansey had twiddled his thumbs outside. And guess who was in the room, a million tubes coming in and out and an IV attached? Angel, of course. At that time, Dylan hadn't known she was wiped. He just carried her out and they blew that Popsicle stand. It was only when Angel woke up while they were riding in one of Dr. Guitar Hero's jets did Dylan realize that she didn't recognize him.

She did recognize the doctor, though.

"But what about my mom? And Jeb?" I asked, despairing.

Dylan's eyes were sad. "I'm sorry, Max. I didn't find them there." He gave the doc a look. "And he won't tell me anything either."

I turned toward Dr. G-H. "Okay, you weirdo, why did you disappear? What were you doing at the DG facility? Where's my mom and Jeb?"

He crossed his arms. "I don't need to answer any of these questions," he said pleasantly.

"Oh? Why? You have a death wish?" I snarled, leaning over him.

"Easy," Fang murmured. I ignored him.

"Well, for starters," said the Hanselator, "I have the... antidote, shall we say, to your affliction. Not with me, of course. But I know where it is. And if you kill me, you'll die as well, in a few days. You need me."

I didn't exactly love the idea of needing him for anything. But he was right. I turned away from him, giving an exasperated sigh. "Angel? Any info you can give us? Do you remember anything from before?"

She frowned. "I remember... him." She pointed at the doctor.

"What about him?"

"Nothing," Angel replied. "I just remember who he is, and that I like him."

Panic rose in me suddenly. "_Nooo_. You do not like him. Trust me on this. He tried to kill Fang." Okay, that was an exaggeration, but seriously.

She frowned. "Is that Fang?" she pointed at Iggy.

I sighed, leaning back. This was hopeless. "Let's get some sleep. Think about this in the morning."

"Wait a moment, Max," Dr. G-H said. "I want to talk to you." We all looked at him, halfway risen off our chairs. He waited a heartbeat, then said,

"And Dylan, too."

There was a pause as I tried and failed to figure out what he wanted.

"Why?" Fang asked, as suspicious as me.

The doctor smiled at him. "None of your concern, Fang. This is a matter concerning only Max and Dylan." Fang's jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

"Okay," I said slowly. "Everybody out, then." I'd figured that if the doc tried to attack us we could take him down, easy.

Everyone filed out slowly, giving the doc wary looks. Fang didn't move until Maya gently took his arm. He seemed to shake himself, then, giving me a look I couldn't really figure out, walked out.

Dylan closed the door, and I sat down at the weensy table across from Hansey. "What's the deal?"

The doctor smiled again, which infuriated me for some reason. "We all know that you're going to expire soon. I have the 'antidote'. But I'll only administer it to you on one condition."

"And how do I know that it's a real antidote?" I demanded. "Not that stuff you put in the water supply at our old house or something, that gave them all huge boils!"

"But Max," said the doctor, "that _is_ the antidote. That's why none of your flock will never expire. Because I gave them that serum."

What?

My eyes were probably popping out of my head by now. Dylan took my hand underneath the table. "But- but what about Fang? He wasn't there when you gave the flock your little 'serum'. He was with me. So he'll die, too!"

"No, I'm afraid," the doctor said smugly. "You see, I gave him a serum to accelerate his mutation later on. Which nearly killed him," he acknowledged, to his credit. "But that's not the one I'll give you. I'll give you a safe one." Yeah, sure. "You see, being a hybrid makes your lifespan shorter- why? This is simple." I was sure it probably wasn't. "Think of each of your genes as a shoelace. At the end of the shoelaces are the endcaps. When the end caps break, the shoelace deteriorates faster. The DNA splicing done to you and your flock makes those endcaps- which are called telomerase- vulnerable. My serum will make those endcaps stronger, giving you the gift of the average human lifespan. The flock already has this." He smiled. "You'll live a long life. If you go by my condition."

I was still reeling over the fact that Dr. G-H had probably saved my flock's lives. "And what's that?" Dylan clutched my hand tighter. I squeezed his.

"Before I give you the serum... you must mate with Dylan."

**Oh, _Max_... what are you going to do now? Please review, guys! Just a one word review, even, helps me out! Thanks!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I have everyone asking me whether Dylan and Max are going to 'mate'. My answer is... GOD NO! Thought I should clear that up.  
><strong>

It was midnight- the other kids had gone to bed. Fang kicked the wall, feeling frustrated. Max and Dylan were still in the room with the doctor, and he felt... he didn't know what he felt. But it was an ugly feeling that made him want to stab Dylan straight in the heart.

"You love her."

Fang looked quickly to the side, and to his surprise, he saw Angel standing there, cute as ever. "Angel. I thought you went to bed."

"Couldn't sleep," Angel replied. Well, that made two of them. "You love her," she repeated.

"Who?" Fang asked without thinking. He cursed himself.

"Both of them. Max and Maya."

Right. Angel could read minds- he'd forgotten.

"No, no," Angel said, her eyes wide and innocent. "I didn't read your mind right then. I... remembered."

Fang leaned forward eagerly. "You remember stuff? From before?"

She nodded solemnly, golden curls bobbing. "I just remembered it now. But when I read your mind..." she frowned. "You love Max, and because of that you love Maya."

Fang didn't say anything.

She turned around and toddled away. "You've got some stuff to work out," she added over her shoulder.

Fang silently agreed.  
>~~~<strong><br>**

I'd made a decision a couple hours after Dylan and Dr. Gunther Hagen left, and I'd worked out my feelings. Kind of. I didn't want to have kids. I was only fifteen. I _couldn_'t. That much I'd figured out. So did I want to 'mate' with Dylan, or... die?

Hopefully, neither. If my plan worked.

I silently entered Fang's room- I'd stolen Holden's key, poor sap- and paused, allowing my eyes to adjust in the darkness. There were two beds. Both were filled, I realized, as I came closer. But it was just Ratchet and Holden. There was a blanket on the floor, though, and it looked as if someone had been lying in it. Except they weren't there anym-

I ducked. A whistling sound over my head told me I'd just escaped being caught in a strangle hold. I turned swiftly, hands up, my heart pounding.

It was Fang. He realized it was me at exactly the same time, and we both relaxed. Slightly.

"What are you doing here?" He asked in a low voice, sounding curious but... wary. I felt a pang of something I couldn't identify.

I crossed my arms. "Grab your bag. We're leaving now."

His dark eyebrows went way up. He was looking attractive as usual, wearing his usual black and not looking as if he'd gone to bed at all. I wondered if he ever slept anymore.

"I'll explain on the way. Please come," I said, almost- but not quite- begging.

"Just us two?" Was his only comment.

"Yeah."

"What about Loverboy?"

I gritted my teeth. His little nickname hit a little too close to home, considering what the doc had just told me.

"He's staying here. I left him a really vague note telling him we went scouting or something. He'll watch over the flock while we're gone." I didn't elaborate any further. Truth was, I'd rather go with Dylan, considering the tension between Fang and I lately. But if we got in a bad fight (and with my crazy plan, that was all too likely) and it came to that, I knew I could trust Fang to leave me there. Not Dylan, because he was too attached. He'd try and save me, and possibly get himself killed in the process. Fang, I knew, would get out of there if I told him to.

Plus, I was uncomfortable with Dylan after hearing the Hanselator's words. I didn't want him getting the wrong idea about me and Dylan going out for a few days.

Fang just stood there, staring at me.

"Trust me," I said in a small voice. "Don't you trust me?"

There was a slight pause, and he nodded his yes.

"Then come on," I said, and opened the window. I turned back to Fang, who was loading up his pockets. Then I grinned, tossing Holden's key to him. "You might want to give this back to Holden."

He gave me his customary crooked smile that made me want to melt. I jumped out the window so he wouldn't see me blush.  
>~~~<p>

"Yo."

His quiet voice broke me out of my reverie. We'd been flying for about ten minutes, me leading the way.

"Right," I said briskly, getting right to it. "The doc says he has some sort of weird antidote. For my expiration."

His eyes widened almost imperceptibly, his version of total shock. "What?"

I explained quickly how he and the others weren't going to expire, what the antidote supposedly did, and that Dr. Scary had put a condition on it. I didn't tell him the condition, and Fang didn't push it right then.

"So I say screw the condition. I'm thinking we can go to Hansey's lab and snatch the serum," I finished. "I'm pretty sure it would be in his house. Remember it?"

He nodded. "Might take a day or two to get there."

"Right," I yawned. "I just didn't want to go in the middle of the day. Because then Hansey would be warned about it, right? And he might tell his goons to move it, or something."

"You think he won't know what we're doing?" Fang gave me a get-real look.

I hadn't thought of that. "Well, we'll have a head start," I said lamely.

Fang remained silent, likely doubting my sanity.

"Look, the point is, I want to try," I said. "If you don't want to come-" I was _screwed_ if he didn't come- "then don't. But I'm doing this."

I waited. Fang didn't turn around and head in the opposite direction, which I took as a good sign.

After a long period of flying, in which I tormented myself with what-if questions, and wondering if the flock would want me to have kids with Dylan if it meant me staying alive, Fang said, "The condition's that bad, huh?"

I didn't look at him. "It's pretty sucky."

"Are you planning to tell me what it is?"

"No."

Fang fell silent again. I knew that wasn't the end of it. Dylan might leave it well alone, but Fang would try and find out what the condition was.

I wasn't sure how he'd take it if I told him.

**R & R guyz! We're in very roughly about the middle of the story now, in my mind. Unless plans change. Every review counts!  
><strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**This is basically a filler chapter I guess... I just wanted to show you what's happening with the rest of the flock. the next few chaps after this are all Max and Fang, I promise!**

Dylan was worried about Max.

She'd left an unclear note that she was going scouting, and that Dylan should just move the kids from inn to inn every night, that she'd be back before she expired, and that he needn't worry. Well, he did anyway. Plus, Fang had mysteriously disappeared overnight too. The two were pretty obviously connected.

Dylan wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that the doc had set the condition that Max had to have kids with Dylan before he gave her the serum, to rule the world after the apocalypse. He wouldn't mind the condition so much, but he knew Max did, so he did too. He knew Max was too young to have kids. After all, she was ninety-eight percent human, and only two percent animal. She should be treated like a human. The doc was a total jerk. Still, Dylan felt some weird disappointment, like Max had rejected him.

Right now, he was sitting at the continental breakfast at a table beside Maya. He'd tried his best to answer everyone's questions, but he knew they weren't satisfied with his answers. _He_ wasn't even satisfied with his answers. Now everyone sat scattered around the breakfast table, eating so much food that the chef's eyes looked like they were about to pop out.

"That doctor guy is watching you," said Maya, sipping her hot chocolate. Dylan turned and looked at Dr. G-H. He was staring at Dylan, and didn't even try to look like he wasn't. Creepy.

Dylan turned back to Maya, his heart as usual beating a little faster as he looked into her heart-shaped face. But this wasn't Max, he reminded himself.

"So you're a clone too, hey?" Maya said, rather glumly, out of the blue. "Join the club."

"Yeah," Dylan replied. "I was cloned off some guy who died in a car crash."

Maya looked surprised. "He's dead? Damn, you're lucky. It's hard when the person you're cloned from is alive."

Dylan nodded. "I kind of understand." He thought about it for another moment. "But not really."

"You wouldn't," sighed Maya, swigging her hot chocolate. Dylan shrugged.

"Dylan?" asked Angel from beside him.

Dylan turned to see Angel looking up at him. She looked the same on the outside as she had before, yet at the same time she was a lot... fresher. She wasn't a manipulative, backstabbing schemer now. But if the doctor was right, she would quickly regain her memories and with it, her old personality. "Yeah?" he said.

She made an "eew" face. "Dr. Gunther Hagen is thinking icky things about you and Max."

Maya looked at him quickly for his reaction, and he couldn't stop himself from flushing red. He may think of the doctor as his father, but that didn't mean the doctor thought of him the same way. To the doc, he was just an experiment.

"We're _all_ experiments to them," Angel said, looking so miserable that Dylan reached out and patted her curls.

"It's okay," he said. "That doesn't mean we can't beat him up if we wanted to." Angel offered an adorable grin, and went back to drinking a carton of milk.

"You're good with kids," Maya said with real admiration in her voice.

Dylan, startled, felt warm inside. Max never seemed to admire or appreciate him, but here was her clone, _praising_ him. Maybe there was hope in the world after all.

**I have a mental list of nicknames for Dr. G-H I use in this story. I SOOO want to use Dr. Genital Herpes, but I'm betting JP wouldn't write that ... sigh...**

**So hear we have Maya and Dylan having a heart-to-heart. Yawn. Think they should be together? R & R! You guys rock!**


	13. Chapter 13

A thunderstorm had just started up, and let me tell you, it ain't fun to fly in wet weather. My feathers were sopping wet, as was every part of my body.

"You look wiped," Fang said for about the fifth time. "We should find some place to crash until the rain lets up." I _was_ exhausted, but not about to admit it. I shrugged, like it was no biggie.

"Fine,if you insist on it," I replied valiantly, like I didn't care, "we'll stop for a while. I guess." I started to descend, and spotted a niche in the nearby rock canyon that would do nicely. "Aha!" I said triumphantly, glad I'd spotted it before Fang. Because he usually found the good places first.

"How about there?" he spoke suddenly, pointing. I looked and had to suppress a sigh. Instead of a tiny niche, of course he found the ultimate jackpot in our world- a cave.

"Into the Batcave, then," I said a tad too dramatically. I dived at ninety degrees until I was just about to turn into a pancake, then righted myself and glided silently into the cave. I was in a good, no, _giddy_ mood, because I was with Fang, and right then it didn't seem so complicated. It seemed okay- like we could just be friendly and that was all.

Fang probably thought my behavior was just plain disturbing, as I could kind of guess from the raised eyebrows I got from that maneuver. He didn't say anything, though.

Soon I'd started up a fire, crackling merrily, etc., in the background. I'm skilled that way. I turned around to find Fang already engrossed with his laptop. Great. Clearly, he wasn't in the mood for socializing. Not with me anyway. I rolled out my sleeping bag and flopped down, hoping I could just go to sleep and not have to deal with the awkward silence anymore.

"Do you have a plan?" After a few minutes of silence, his voice sounded like a gunshot in the darkness.

"Um, school the doctor?" I offered a moment later. It was a lot more solid than a lot of the plans we'd had, I reasoned with myself.

"What was the condition?" He asked, out of the blue. Still typing; probably trying to seem nonchalant. I wasn't fooled. I turned over in my sleeping bag so my back was facing him, and mumbled something incoherently about "stuff".

"You're going to have to tell me at some point," he said after I didn't give him an intelligible answer. His tone was calm, but I could detect the subtlest note of tension. Bossy, bossy Fang.

"No, I don't," I replied in a sing-song voice, knowing he hated that. "You'll _never_ know. You'll have to live not knowing."

Fang didn't say anything further, because I'd made him mad. Smiling to myself, I closed my eyes. Now, maybe if I could just piss him off _every_ time he asked me difficult questions...  
>~~~<p>

I woke up feeling comfortable and content. I was pretty puzzled as to why, until I became aware of my surroundings.

I was... with Fang. My head rested on his chest, my legs tangling with his, and he was totally asleep. I'd rolled onto him overnight, I realized. My face burned in the darkness, but I didn't make a move to get away right then. It felt so right. He was warm and I felt safe, cuddling with him and I wanted to stay like this forever and...

... why was I being such a weak damsel? For god's sake, I was Maximum Ride. The person who was supposed to save the world, the leader of the flock. The ultimate warrior. And here I was, feeling like reliant on Fang's body heat.

I cautiously disentangled my limbs from his, doing it so carefully that he was still asleep by the time I'd gotten out of his wonderful embrace completely. I gave him another look, memorizing his face. So he did sleep after all. And his face looked a little bit more open when he was this way. He looked peaceful.

And incredibly handsome.

I jumped out of the cave and whipped out my wings, _so_ not wanting to think that again.

_You've got to figure this out soon, Max,_ my Voice spoke up. _You're hurting them both in the meantime. But you also need to take into consideration the fact that Dr. Gunther-Hagen has the serum, and that means Dylan is the best choice_.

"I don't care what the best choice is!" I yelled into the sky, knowing nobody could hear me. "I'll do what I want! Shut the hell up!"

_You have to make better decisions_, the Voice said, then fell silent again.

I flew around for a while, trying to figure out my problems- Fang and Dylan. Different in their ways, yet I cared about both of them. Fang had always had my back, and my heart- until he'd left, because us being together meant the flock wouldn't have a good leader. Dylan, on the other hand, had never left me.

But _Fang_. My mind always came back to him, even when I was trying to convince myself to be with Dylan.

Fed up with my clumsy decision making, I sped up and headed to the nearest town. I found a chain restaurant on the outskirts, and in back of the building was a supplies truck, full with food ready to be unloaded into the restaurant. Perfect.

I jacked a couple packages of bread and muffins, then flew back to the cave, steeling myself to see Fang. And vowing to kill myself if I blushed or gave any hint of what had occurred while he was asleep.

He was standing at the cave entrance, looking completely presentable while I probably resembled a hairball. "Where were you?" he asked.

I didn't look at him, thinking my face might give something away about before. "Got breakfast." I tossed him some food and sat down beside the burned out fire to eat my own. He sat down beside me. Like, his body near my body. Oh, God.

I wolfed down a muffin, hoping that eating like a hyena would somehow disguise the flushing red of my cheeks. "So, today," I said between mouthfuls. I couldn't think of anything to say beyond that at this point.

Fang started on his fourth muffin, and his elbow touched mine for a millisecond, sending a shock wave through me. "What's your plan?" He looked at me expectantly. Because I was the leader. I'd always been the leader. Even when Fang was a leader himself, it seemed I was... the alpha leader?

I opened my mouth, not knowing what to say, but something came out anyway. "We're going to break into the doc's lab today."

He stared at me for a moment, chewing. "Got big plans, do you?"

I shrugged. "The usual. Go in, beat up some guards, grab the antidote, beat up anybody else we need to, get out, go back. End of story."

"I see." He accepted it. Even when my plans were crazy and made no sense, which was more than half of the time, he believed me. He had faith in me. He trusted me.

I think.

**Keep the reviews comin' guys! Tell you what, if we can reach 100 reviews before I finish writing the story, I'll write an additional quick fax scene as a prologue or something. And there's no such thing as too much fax! Thanks guys.**


	14. Chapter 14

I peered through the bushes at Dr. Genital Herpes's (hee hee!) house, feeling decidedly spy-like. Until Fang managed to sneak up on me and tap me on the shoulder.

"Wagh!" I emitted a high-pitched shriek, and turned to glare at him. "Would you freaking stop that?"

The corner of his mouth twitched. "There's eight guards on the east side of the house all spread out."

I shoved aside my annoyance. "Guns?"

"I didn't see any, but that doesn't mean anything. Might be concealed."

I nodded. "I'll go around this side, you go around that side. We jump them at the same time in in thirty seconds." I waited for a confirmation; he nodded, agreeable as usual to my plan. "Go!"

I darted around the corner, not looking back. We had to do this quickly; if the guards had long enough to call for reinforcements, we would be screwed. We're good, but not that good. Well, maybe. But I didn't want to risk it.

I peered around the edge of the building, still counting. There were eight guards, just like Fang had said. I could take down the four closest to me easily... _Twenty-eight, twenty-nine... Thirty!_

I sprang out silently and knocked out one of the guards immediately with a well placed flying side kick to the chest. As I turned toward the others, I saw Fang owning the guys on his side and knew I didn't have to worry about him.

One of the guards near me pulled out his gun. "Whoa!" I said with fake concern, holding my hands up. "Watch where you point that th-" in the middle of my sentence I karate chopped his neck. He collapsed, unprepared. Two down; two to go.

The other two were a little harder to evade; they'd seen what I'd done already and were more ready. Although, it was easy to dodge their gunshots. These guys were clearly amateurs.

I'd already spent two minutes on these guys; time totally wasted. So I decided to get it over with. I gave them both quick front kicks, and while they were looking dazed, I knocked their heads together so hard that they fell unconscious. Incredibly satisfying.

I surveyed my handiwork for a moment more, then joined Fang, who was already inside the building. He was fighting two more guards. With unspoken agreement, he took one and I took the other.

While he knocked out his adversary,I slammed mine against the wall and put on my most ferocious face. This was easy to do. I just imagined that my flock was dead, and this was the guy that had killed them.

"Where's the serum?" I snarled into his face. "Where is it?"

"I- I don't know!" The guy wailed, totally freaked out. "Please- I don't _know_-"

"Do you want to wake up in this world, or wake up in the _next_ one?" I screeched at him. "'Cuz that's the difference it'll make if you tell me. I know you know!"

His face was white, his eyes wide. "What _are_ you?" He whispered, his voice shaking.

"Your worst nightmare!" I spat. Okay, cliche, but it did the trick. He spilled the beans.

"It's upstairs. In room 312. I swear, that's where he put it. That's the last time I saw him put it anywhere!"

I slammed his head against the wall in response. His eyes closed and he slumped. I dropped him.

"You're getting more violent every day," Fang said. You wouldn't know it if you didn't know him as well as I did, but I could detect the lightness of his teasing tone.

I gave Fang a quick glance. A couple minor scrapes and bruises- nothing too serious. "Let's go," I said.

We found the room quickly upstairs, leaving a trail of unconscious people in our wake. I held my breath as Fang pushed the door open. It was full of glass cabinets and metal tables that reminded me too much of our old days. I shuddered. These kinds of places gave me the creeps.

"You okay?" Fang touched my back gently. I nodded.

We searched around the room, looking for telltale labels like "MAX'S SAVIOR", or more realistically, "TELOMERASE-STRENGTHENING SOLUTION", or something. There were tons of bottles, all right. I just couldn't make any sense of them. After ten minutes, I was frustrated. Plus, more guards would be coming soon.

I punched a cabinet, wincing as it shattered and sliced up my knuckles.

"Watch it," Fang called from across the room. "Hey, is this the one?" He held up a vial with an orange liquid in it.

I crossed the room quickly. "Why do you think so?"

He held it up so I could read the label. It was a bunch of sciencey gibberish words, with the word "telomerase" sandwiched in between.

"It's a long shot," I sighed. "At the same time, I don't want to take the wrong one and end up turning into a bear." This earned me a full-fledged grin, and I felt a happy jolt even though our circumstances sucked.

I knelt beside him and took the vial from him. Our fingers brushed together. I swallowed hard and managed to ignore it. I turned the vial over carefully in my hands, examining it, wondering if maybe this was the one...?

The door opened with a bang. We both jumped up and then immediately looked at each other again. There were _at least_ twenty guards at the door. We were, um, how to put this delicately?

Screwed.

But we'd won against the odds before, and I was betting we could do it again. So, without hesitation, I jumped at the nearest guard with a roar.

And all hell broke loose.

I couldn't tell what was happening- someone had gotten a hold of a gun and was shooting around, apparently oblivious to the fact that he was destroying his boss's life's work. What an idiot. Meanwhile, four steroid-pumped men rounded on me, holding knives. Apparently more intelligent then the gunman in the room, they'd gone for the next-best weapon, and a weapon that was a lot less likely to damage the Hanselator's specimens.

I could take them down, all right. The knives just made it a little more complicated. Without even knowing what I was doing, I dropped the vial. I cursed myself inwardly but took advantage of the situation by kicking one of the men, who were momentarily distracted by the patch of carpet sizzling before them. So. It had been some sort of acid, and not the life-saver we'd initially thought.

I couldn't tell what else was happening- I could just guess that the other, oh, fifteen guards had gone for Fang. Because Fang was male. What sexists.

I pounded one of the non-sexists into the wall and turned toward the others. More had joined the fight against me, and I was having to dodge a lot. I occasionally took a punch or two, though. I'm not invincible, contrary to popular belief.

I risked a glance at Fang to see how he was doing; he was fending off the attackers- with difficulty, of course.

Looking at him proved to be a mistake, as in the next second I felt an explosive pain in my right shoulder. I swallowed a scream, but staggered for a moment. The guards took full advantage, hitting my head so hard against a glass cabinet that (obviously) the glass shattered, and I saw stars for a moment. Another managed to get a kick to my kidney.

Even in such intense pain, I could tell they were getting ready to deliver the death blow; one took out his gun, probably confident he could get a clear shot without hurting the doc's merchandise. He was wrong; I shook of my sluggishness and knocked the gun at his hand. I wacked him in the head with it and turned to the others.

I'm not a fan of guns, so I didn't shoot them or anything. I just kept fighting them. I was a lot slower now, with my injuries, plus my right arm was out of the game. So they got a lot more hits in. But they went down in the end anyway.

Fang hurried over, his concerned eyes taking me in. I could hear more voices down the hall. We needed to get out of here. "Max!" His hands reached for me, to help me stand. I shook him off.

"I'm fine," I managed to say before I fell over and passed out.

**Oh no, they couldn't get the serum? All hope is lost!**

**Or _is_ it? R & R, as always! :D**


	15. Chapter 15

I woke up in the same cave, tasting heavy cotton stuffed in my mouth. Oh wait; that was my tongue. And my body ached. A lot. And my shoulder stab wound hurt a million times worse.

I managed to turn my head so I could see it. My shirt had been half cut off to expose my shoulder, and the tank top straps pushed down my arm. Fang had done a nice job patching up the knife wound, but I could still see blood. It was all over what was left of my shirt, various cuts all over me. I lifted my good arm and felt my head. A definite bump, plus a bandage where the glass had cut into my scalp. I groaned involuntarily.

"You're awake." Fang's voice cut through the darkness of the cave. He was sitting close to me.

I was tired, but managed to muster up some sarcasm. "Thanks for the tip, Captain Obvious."

"No problem," he replied, tone light. But I could hear the relief in his voice. I felt his fingers suddenly on the bare skin of my shoulder and experienced a jolt of pleasure. "You've been out for a couple of hours."

"That long?" I squeaked. I _was_ getting soft. Or maybe my body was starting to deteriorate.

I pushed that thought out of mind and focussed on what mattered right then- our failure.

"We didn't get it," I whispered, feeling raw disappointment wash over me. "We couldn't get the serum."

His fingers continued to stroke my bare shoulder. "That's fine. I was pretty sure he wouldn't leave it there anyway. He's got some other hidey-hole."

I put my left hand over my face. "But we don't have time to find his other hidey-holes. I've barely got time to get back to the others before I _die_. And now I've got the ultimate sucky choice- have kids with Dylan or freaking die!" My voice had risen sharply, and for a moment even I didn't register what I'd just spilled.

Well, crap.

I peeked through my fingers. His grip had tightened on my shoulder, which hurt. But what really got me was his eyes.

He looked so hurt, so betrayed. And yet so unimaginably angry. Like he wanted to kill someone- possibly me. His dark eyes narrowed.

"That's the condition?" He asked with deadly calm. "_Have kids_ with Dylan?"

I couldn't help the tears slowly trickling out of my eyes. "Not like I want to do it, I'm only fifteen-"

"So you would do it if you were older?"

"Well," I stammered, suddenly not sure, "um-"

I couldn't finish my sentence because suddenly he bent down and kissed me, and he did it... ferociously. I was so startled I went still for a second- then, without my brain's consent, my hand winded into his silky dark hair, that I'd wanted so badly to touch for so long. His lips were on mine and that was all there was to my world- all my thoughts vanished- All there was was Fang, and his skin, and his hand tangled up in my hair, and his lips on my lips, and the feel of our bodies so close together, and I was feeling ecstatic but weirded out, thrilled but scared, but one thing I was absolutely sure of.

I was enjoying this. A lot.

He finally broke off the kiss, very slowly. First it was just less pressure, then his lips merely lingered, brushing mine, and finely he straightened. Once again, I couldn't tell what was going on in his dark, inscrutable eyes. I was breathing hard, and so was he.

"You don't have to do that," he growled finally. "You don't have to do it. We'll find another way."

"How?" I asked breathlessly.

"You'll be fine," he said. Not really answering my question. With every word he stroked my hair. Again and again. It wasn't helping my blood pressure. "You don't have to. It'll be okay." My eyes prickled again. Damn it. It was _my_ job to spout reassuring lies. Not his.

A moment later, we both realized what this meant. Us kissing, I mean. It changed everything.

Again.

Did this mean I was still attracted to him? _Obviously_, the Voice snorted. I ignored it. But he'd kissed me. So... what did that mean? Was he still possibly attracted to me?

Could I _possibly_ drive him as crazy as he did me?

I was aware he was staring at me, but in an empty way. Like he was thinking hard about something, and his eyes just happened to fall on me while he was thinking. I couldn't bear another second of this awkwardness.

"We should go back." When he looked blank, I added, "to the others." I touched the back of my neck. "In case my expiration date kicks in early." I managed a weak smile, pushing a way my thoughts about what had just happened. That minute of pure bliss I would relive over and over and over... later, when I was alone.

His eyes hardened. "I told you, you're not going to die." Man, was he _ever_ in denial. "Can you even fly?" He asked. I hadn't even thought of that.

I extended my wings slowly, wincing at the very dull pain. Fang stared at my wings as if he'd never seen them before. There was definitely something wrong with him right now.

"I think I'll be fine," I confirmed. "I just have to take it easy."

"Right," he said slowly, still staring. "We can take it easy."

Feeling slightly weirded out, I walked away from him, stamping out the remaining embers of the fire and collecting our items scattered around. I pushed my straps back up my shoulder, feeling embarrassed that he'd touched them.

I fell off the cliff and flew into the sky. I knew Fang was following, but I didn't want to face him. Not yet.  
>~~~<p>

We were back in town, searching around for clues of where everyone was staying. Aha! We spied Gazzy walking into a motel. There.

We'd been gone for what, two, three days? I had maybe two days left until it was the date of my expiration. Thinking of the date again, I felt a weird twinge. There was something about that date. Something familiar.

"Max."

I glanced over. As always, Fang's face was maddeningly expressionless. "About before..." he said, and paused for a second. When I didn't say anything (although I'm sure my furious blushing told a lot) he continued. "It doesn't mean anything. It was an accident-"

"It _felt_ like it meant something," I blurted without thinking. But I was getting mad. Because he was brushing off what we'd had together. Like it was nothing to him.

"It wasn't," he said. "But... you still don't need to do anything with Superboy. We'll figure something else out." So. He didn't want me, but he didn't want me to be with anyone else? Possessive much?

I opened my mouth to swear at him, but he'd already swooped down to the motel. Feeling furious and humiliated, I followed him. What was his problem? I thought he cared!

Well, fine, then. I didn't care either.

**Oh Fang... you can keep denying it. But we all know you're hot for Max!**

**Review, review, review! We passed the 50 review mark a looong time ago. Thanks guys!**


	16. Chapter 16

Everyone's eyes bugged out when we strolled in, me looking like I'd been run over by a semi, of course.

"Max!" Dylan hurried over, his eyes wider than anyone elses's. "You got hurt? What happened to you?" That last question was directed at Fang, with an accusing tone. Like, _You let her get hurt_?

I shook him off, as the rest of my beloved flock came to crowd around me, asking us where we'd been. I opened my mouth, ready to spew some BS, when Dr. Gunka Bunka intervened.

"They went to go look for the serum, of course."

"Oh yeah!" Nudge said, looking at me excitedly. "Dr G-H told us there was a way to make sure you wouldn't die! Isn't that good?" she added anxiously, seeing my nervous face. Then she frowned as she processed the doc's words. "Wait, you went looking for it? You already knew about it?"

I didn't have to explain, because the good doctor did it for me! Happy dance! Not. "She was thinking to double cross me," he said. "But, luckily, I am more intelligent than the average sloth-" I seethed- "and I made sure that the serum is in a secure place."

"So it was never there in the first place." I said, feeling about to explode. He nodded his confirmation. I felt like punching him, but luckily my self-restraint had gone a long ways. I turned away. "You booked rooms?" I asked everyone. "Because I'm bone-tired."  
>~~~<p>

I'd answered everyone's questions, and now I lay in the hotel room by myself. My flock (minus Fang, and Dylan if you wanted to include him) had gone out for dinner, but I was sooo not hungry for food. I was much more hungry for another one of Fang's kisses.

I turned onto my stomach, feeling angry with myself and him. What was his issue anyway? Man, this must be like what he'd felt like when _I'd_ been blowing him off. Plus, the whole trip had been a complete waste of time. I now had exactly one day until my expiration date, and I was likely screwed. Unless I did _that_ with Dylan.

Speaking of the devil, there was a knock on the door. "It's me, Dylan," he called gently.

"Come in," I muttered, pulling a pillow on top of my head. I had a migraine. Excellent.

My heart nearly stopped beating when I felt a feather-light touch stroke down my spine, between my wings, and then diverted to brush down my hip, to my leg. My body tingled where he touched it. Then, calmly, as if he did this all the time, Dylan lay down beside me, looking intently into my tomato-red face. He didn't say anything. I didn't say anything.

A moment later, I said, "So why do you think they brain-washed Angel?" Just to get him to stop staring at me like that. Honest to god, it was unnerving. Plus, it was making me feel kind of warm.

His eyes got less intense, which was a relief. "I think they were planning to use her as one of their puppets. To do that, they had to make sure she was on their side. So they wiped her memory, and if I hadn't gotten to her, they would have probably started doing some serious brainwashing."

"Huh," I said, mind whirring. "Well, as long as she's okay. I guess I just have to enjoy her innocence before she regains her memories. She will regain them, won't she?" I added anxiously. "You're totally sure she will? How do you know?"

He shrugged, looking confused. "I... don't know how I know. I just do." Great. That cleared things up.

He suddenly put his hand on the curve of my hip. "But enough of that." He leaned in.

I couldn't speak. My heart was doing a rodeo in my chest, and for some reason I wanted to pull away but couldn't. He brought his lips, almost hesitantly, to mine. We kissed, him a little more enthusiastically than me.

He flipped us so he was on top of me. On the bed. Oh my freaking god. He was still kissing me, in that wonderful way that made me feel warm all over and not want to pull away. Our legs entangled. Our hands were around each other. The way he looked at me, the awe in his blue eyes, made me feel like a goddess. I didn't want this, I felt guilty, because I'd kissed Fang maybe twenty hours ago, but I couldn't get away.

His hands were doing a number on me, sliding on my face, in my hair, the buttons of my shirt...

My eyes snapped open. "_What_ are you _doing_?" I exclaimed, pushing him, hard, off me. I looked down at my chest. Three of the buttons were undone.

He was breathing hard as he looked at me, eyes pleading. "Max. Please. We have to do this."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Do what?" Even I could hear the anger in my voice.

"We have to... mate."

I couldn't believe he was saying this.

"You're a jerk."

He hung his head. "I'm sorry, Max. I shouldn't have done that. I should have asked you."

"Hell _right_," I snarled, getting in his face. I never remembered being this explosively angry at him before. "I don't want it. You're disgusting. Get away from me." I shoved him, hard, and he let me. He backed up a few steps, eyes downcast.

"I'm sorry," he said again, looking into my eyes now. And now I could tell: he hadn't been trying to take advantage of me. He genuinely wanted to help me, to make sure I didn't die. And he thought this was the only way.

I thought differently, I realized now. Dylan played by the rules, the rules everyone else set. I didn't. And that was what set us apart.

That was why- maybe- we could never really be _together_. Fang was more like me than he was.

"Get away from me," I repeated, turning away. "I don't want to see your face for a while." My voice sounded more tired than angry now.

And he did. "Okay, Max," he said softly, pain in his voice. "I will." Just like that, without arguing, I heard him jump out the window. I hoped he opened his wings.

A minute later, I walked briskly into the hall, needing to burn off my anger. Buttoning my shirt back up, so needing to be alone and just think and cry and work out my feelings.

As I was doing up the last button, I got pulled into another room. "Hey-!" I stopped when I realized it was Fang. He looked... expressionless, as usual. It was maddening.

"What?" I said, irritated and totally fed up. With guys in general.

He shrugged. "You looked upset." Great. So he wanted to talk now, did he?

"Yeah, and you know why I'm upset?" I spat at him. "Because of, partly, Dylan. But that ain't all, my _friend_." I put as much scorn into that word as I could. "Because of you, because you blew me off after you freaking kissed me, and I thought that was _my_ job. _You're_ the one that used to want to be with me. _I_ used to be the one in denial. And now the roles are freaking _reversed_!"

He seemed unstirred by my speech. "We can't be together. It was an accident."

"An accident?" I echoed, feeling near tears. "How was bending down and kissing me an accident? You better explain. Right now." I crossed my arms, waiting.

He sighed, looking away. "We can't be together, I just told you. You've seen how the flock reacts when we are. When we _were_." I flinched. "We were more focused on each other. So it shouldn't happen." He paused.

I was unsure of what he was trying to say to me. "So... you still like me?" The question sounded childish, even to me, and I blushed.

His eyes showed a hint of amusement. "I don't dislike you," he said, just to keep me guessing. I kept my mouth shut. Luckily, he kept talking. "But that doesn't mean I can throw my responsibilities down and be with you. Neither can you. So you have to stop 'liking' me."

"I can't ever stop liking you," I replied, my voice suddenly husky. He looked vaguely surprised my change of tone. I shook myself out of it before he got the wrong idea. "Okay. So I'm expected to sacrifice my happiness- for the last day I have left- for the flock? When I've only got day left?" I hated the pleading in my voice.

He looked down at me, without pity; that's what it looked like, at least. "If you've only got one day left, what's the point of it?" was his answer, and he brushed past me and out of the room, leaving me staring out the window. Jerk.

I rubbed my neck. Now I remembered the date, and what it was. It was the day that, a year ago, my mom had been kidnapped by Mr. Chu and his goons. That also meant it was the day Fang and I had gotten together- and I hadn't blown him off. If we were still together, tomorrow, my deathday, would have been our one year anniversary.

The world has a sick sense of humor.

**REVIEW GUYZ ONLY A COUPLE CHAPTERS LEFT! :D**


	17. Chapter 17

"I called Jeb," Dr. Goo Goo said. "He should be here in a few hours."

I glanced at him, only half interested. Being hours away from death really snaps things into perspective. "Oh? Care to explain where he was? Or did you just call him so I could slap him silly before I died? If so, thank you very much." I injected my trademark sarcasm into those words. He didn't answer.

There was an aura of gloom upon the lunch table, me not knowing when I was going to drop dead, Nudge asking me every few seconds "But are you sure? Are you sure it's today?", Iggy muttering, "Why don't you just do the condition?", Angel looking sad, Gazzy looking miserable, Dylan looking suicidal, Fang looking... Fang.

I hadn't talked to Dylan since yesterday, I was still really angry. But I wanted to make it right before I died. I owed it to him, plus I wasn't that much of a witch, to want him to feel guilty later. I looked at him, catching his attention, tried to convey all that I was thinking in my gaze. He nodded as if he understood, which I wasn't sure he did.

I was sure we'd all run out of tears by now. I wanted to make things right with... everyone. I wanted to talk to my mom, Ella, Fang, Maya, Jeb, and everybody else in the world that I'd gone off on the wrong foot with. Basically everyone.  
>~~~<p>

After a couple of hours of everyone just sulking, I took matters into my own hands and spoke up. "Look, guys," I said, looking at everyone in the eye: Ratchet, Holden, Kate, Star, Maya, Fang, Angel, Gazzy, Iggy, Nudge, Dylan, and even Dr. Death. There was nobody else, really, in this little cafe; I wasn't really caring at this point who heard me.

"Life is short," I began strongly. That was the only thing I'd planned saying beforehand. For the rest? I'd wing it. "We live without knowing when it's all going to stop and that's how I've always lived- like it's my last day." I sucked in a deep breath. "And now it really is."

I heard Nudge crying, but at a distance, as if she were a mile away. "Look, I know some of you aren't my best friend, and I've been not the greatest person to you," I admitted graciously. "And I just want to say I'm sorry for that. And if you guys ever meet up with the other people that aren't here today that didn't like me, you can tell them what I said." I looked back down at my gross egg salad, ending abruptly. I wasn't great at huge, tearful conclusions.

No one said anything. The doc was fiddling with his phone. "Jeb's arrived," he announced. "He's got something important to say."

"He can stuff himself," I said absentmindedly, stroking Gazzy's hair.

Now Dr. God looked up. "We have to go meet him," he said firmly. "Really, Max, if you're too stubborn to mate with Dylan to survive, then at least do this-" He never got to complete his sentence because I'd socked him in the face, knocking him out of his chair and onto the floor. He held his cheek and God help me, he looked _amused_. Which made me even more irritated. I mean, he'd just humiliated me in front of everyone! I seriously wanted to kill him.

Instead, because I'm such a mature individual, I gave him a good kick to the side, eliciting a satisfying "oof" and declared, "All right, we'll go and meet with Jeb, then."

So we went to where the doc indicated, which ended up being a big field. And Jeb, lying as usual, hadn't actually arrived as in gotten on the ground, his helicopter was still hovering around.

I saw his traitorous face appear in one of the big windows. Experimentally, I waved at him cheerfully; he waved back. So, he could see me. I flipped him the bird. He couldn't pretend not seeing that. He scowled, and I grinned, feeling a bit cheerier. Nothing better than pissing off your old man to make you feel less crappy!

The doctor had tried to take me aside again, a couple hours beforehand, to tell me to get it on with Dylan.

"I told you, I'm not doing it!" I'd insisted. He had shook his head.

"This is your only chance, Max. You'll simply be ensuring that the world will have a leader after you die. After the apocalypse."

"You and your conspiracy theories," I'd replied loudly, and flounced away. Well, I tried to flounce. To annoy him.

And now we all stood in the field, waiting for Jeb's ride to land in the grass so we could- meet?- I wasn't exactly sure what I'd say to him.

The helicopter, chopping the air, made a breeze that blew my hair around, undoubtly making it messier. It landed, and we all waited for him to jump out, although I was waiting, waiting for my time to be up. To suddenly collapse.

But when Jeb clambered out of the helicopter, yelling something I couldn't quite understand due to the fact that the helicopter was still running, it wasn't I who collapsed.

It was Maya.

**The 100 review mark is passed, so yes, we'll be getting an additional fax scene at the end. But keep reviewing, otherwise I shall be sad. :(**


	18. Chapter 18

I was totally, totally shocked, and stood there like a snowman until Dr. Gobbledygook's lunge forward made me jump. He swiftly pulled a syringe out of his white coat pocket, and, twirling it expertly, he injected it straight into Maya's limp arm.

There was chaos, all at once; Nudge was screaming, both Fang and Dylan had surged forward as one to stop the doctor, but it was too late; he was already smoothly withdrawing the needle from her arm.

"What are you doing?" Fang yelled. He glanced from me to Maya, looking, for maybe the first time in his life, utterly confused. He wasn't the only one.

Everyone looked puzzled, and staring at me accusingly as if I should be dropped dead. I finally tuned in to what Jeb was yelling.

"You're the clone, Max," he said to me, simple as that. "Maya's the original copy."

I opened my mouth; everyone was silent for a long time. Finally, I gave the appropriate response to this: "What?"

Jeb launched, quickly, into speech, probably sensing my freaked-out anger building. "When we made Maya, she didn't have to qualities we wanted in a leader- she had several flaws. Everything else was according to plan, so we cloned her and attempted to put something more into you. Mostly, that experiment was a failure. We kept both of you, for a sort of social experiment; Maya in isolation, under close observation, to see how she ended up living her life alone; and you, with others like you, to see how you ended up living your life with other avian hybrids."

"I'm... a clone?" I managed to get out. "Why do _I_ have an expiration date then-"

"You both have the tattoo of the date on your neck," Jeb interrupted rudely, "but only one's genes have been weakened."

"Maya's," Dylan said, looking as if the truth had dawned on him. He was looking from me, to Maya's unconscious form, and back. He turned to Hansey, who looked as if he had had an epiphany as well. "Is Maya going to be okay? What did you do to her?"

The doctor, although still looking slightly bemused, held up an empty vial. "I injected her... with a serum."

This brought me into speech. "What the hell? You put a condition on me, but not her?"

"No, no," he said, shaking his head. "This is very temporary. Her telomerase is beginning to deteriorate- this simply stopped it for the time being. A weaker form of the real serum. She'll last only a few weeks- unless she agrees to do what I ask." I had no doubt about what the condition he'd set on her was.

I noticed my flock was looking at me weird, and that Dylan was leaning at Maya's side now, looking tender and worried. I realized with a jolt that this new development meant that he was meant for _her_, not for me.

Because I was a clone.

I jumped up, not able to bear this any longer. Everyone looked at me. "Going for a fly," I announced in a false, cheery voice. "See you later." Without looking back to see everyone's reactions, I launched myself into the wide, blue sky.

**You may hate me for this, but this is what happens in my story. Sorry if you really dislike the change of events. :-(**

**Anyway, Max's gone to have some alone time- little does she know that a certain damn hot person is following her. (!)**

**Review!**


	19. Chapter 19

I flew high over the trees, not feeling like myself. Because I wasn't. I was made from someone else- and of all people, that someone else was Maya. I felt dirty and tainted. Horrible.

I spotted a river, and, twenty feet above, I folded in my wings and cannonballed into the rapid flowing water. I knew it wouldn't make me feel cleaner inside, but at the same time it was necessary, because I felt so dirty and wanted to feel like I could just wash it off.

I closed my eyes, quite contented, in the river. All was quiet, and I didn't have to think about the crap that was my life. My clone-ness. I drifted, curled up in a fetal position, in a weird mood, wishing more than anything that I couldn't breathe underwater.

Wishing I could die.

God, I was so out of it. My eyes opened under the water, and everything here was so dark and simple. All I could hear was the occasional swishing of water gently passing my ears, and all I could see was darkness. Nothing more. And it was so wonderful; because it held no reminder of the real world, the real world I wanted to leave... Maybe I could just stay here forever...

Without realizing it, I'd picked up a sharp rock from the riverbed. I had a brief blast from the past, when I'd tried to stab a chip out of my arm. This would be easier than that. It would be like falling asleep...

A hand closed around my leg and wrenched me out of the water.

It was a rude awakening. I gasped, my eyes wrenching open, my hands flailing, my hair drenched. I came to realize my surroundings; I was slumped on the riverbank and Fang hovered over me, wrestling the rock out of my grip. I let him take it, and watched, uninterested, as he hurled it back into the river.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?" he shouted at me, looking furious.

I didn't want to talk to him. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I pushed him away and stood up, a little unsteady on my feet, and started to walk away. He grabbed my arm and swung me against a tree. I was pinned.

"What's wrong with you?" he snarled. "Are you a _complete_ idiot?"

I trembled, like a big wuss. My eyes began to burn. His gaze softened very slightly. "Why would you try and stab yourself with a rock?" he questioned me with deadly calm. There was a long pause.

When I spoke, my tone was very matter-of-fact. "I'm not needed."

"Not needed?" I could tell by the subtle differences in tone that I'd shocked him. "Who told you that?"

"I don't need anyone to tell me that," I replied. "Because I'm disgusting. I'm _her_ clone." I covered my face with my one free hand. I didn't want him to see me. I was so... gross.

"You're not disgusting." I was surprised by the ferocity of his tone, and looked up slowly. "You're the opposite of that." As if in a dream, he reached out and stroked a tress of my hair that had fallen in front of my eyes, and gently tucked it behind my ear. "And just because you look the same as Maya doesn't mean that you are her."

He didn't mention the fact that I'd made fun of Maya in the past. I was such a coward. I could dish it out, but I couldn't take it. "But I'm made out of her. That means... she's Max. I'm Maya. I shouldn't even be alive."

"No," he disagreed, his face ever closer to mine. "You're _Max_. That's who you are. You're different from Maya. Just because they took some of her DNA and expected to get a clone doesn't mean they were right. They got a whole new person, but they were too dumb to figure it out."

I shook my head, although I felt less sure. He continued. "Max, you're needed. The flock needs you." He paused. "_I_ need you."

And there my world went, turning upside down- _again_. The shock was probably evident on my face, but he didn't say anything, just leaned in and kissed me. And it felt so right, being there with him- with one of my hands slowly slipping into his hair, and the other touching his face to make sure he was real- and he was kissing me, and I was kissing him, and it felt so _right_.

The kiss was long and sweet, our noses rubbing deliciously, our arms around each other. I was in heaven. It wasn't like last time, in the cave, when he'd kissed me out of anger of what I might have to do with Dylan. No, today it was something more, something deeper, that I could define but was afraid to think for what it might mean.

When we finally pulled away from each other, there was open affection on his face. This surprised me- he never, ever let his emotions show. But today he did. "Max," he said, staring straight into my eyes. His voice sent a chill down my spine. "I'm sorry."

I was pretty sure those words had never left his lips before. He'd never apologized to anyone, not that I knew of. I couldn't speak right then, and kept my mouth shut.

He didn't need to explain what he was sorry for. It was just another sign of our closeness that I could tell what he meant without him having to say it.

He was sorry he'd left. He was sorry he'd led me on, sorry that he'd hurt me. Sorry, and now...

He wanted me back?

It was too much happiness thrust upon me, especially when, five minutes ago, I was at rock bottom. I forgot all about that- I embraced him, pulling him to me, crying silently. And I kissed him. Once again, no words were exchanged, but he knew what I meant.

_Forgiven_.

**Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Fax!**

**I'm now working on the last chapter(s). After that, there'll just be left the fax chapter. Review guys! You are awesome!**


	20. Chapter 20

We found the others back in the same restaurant we'd been eating lunch before Jeb had arrived. Maya was nowhere to be seen.

The person I'd been cloned from.

Before I could start hyperventilating, Fang touched my arm. Very gently. As if he knew exactly what I was thinking, and was conveying _It's okay_. It made me feel a weensy bit better, and I gave him a weak smile. Jeb shook his head at our exchange, obviously disproving of our getting together.

I went to the others. "Where's Maya? And Dylan? And the Hanselator?" I asked, realizing that they was out of the scene as well.

"The doctor took them to some medical place," Ratchet replied, adjusting his Ray-Bans. "Apparently Maya's conscious now." As if I cared. "So you're a clone?" Kate shot him a warning look that he ignored.

I swallowed. "Um..." I chose not to answer, and swung myself into the chair beside Nudge. "Guys, how're you doing?" I asked, anxiously watching their faces.

Gazzy grinned and even Iggy looked cheerful. Angel gave me an adorable smile. Nudge looked unsure of whether to be happy or not. I totally understood. "Look, guys," I said. "So what if I'm a clone? I'm still Max, and as a plus I'm not going to expire! Who even cares?"

"Yeah, who cares?" Gazzy agreed. "I wouldn't care if you were cloned from an egg salad. You'd still be Max." I wasn't sure about _that_, but...

Nudge offered up a smile then. "We love you, Max," she said, pulling me to her in a tight hug. "We all love you."

"Yes," Angel chimed in. "Even Fang loves you."

I looked at her, astonished, then at Fang. He shrugged. "It's true."

Angel beamed.

"Do you remember anything?" I asked her, elated by what I'd just learned. A happy hum vibrated within me. "From before?"

She frowned. God, even her _frown_ was cute. "Bits and pieces. I remember you kind of. And reading your memories helps sometimes." A shadow crossed over her face. "It doesn't sound like I was a very nice person sometimes."

Iggy patted her curls. "Usually, you are cute as heck," he told her. "Not that I can _see_ that or anything..."

Feeling that the group had been reassured, I stood up. "So where'd Dr. Gimped stash Maya?"

"I can take you," Nudge exclaimed. "I followed him, to make sure he didn't go any place suspicious."

"Nice one, Nudge!" I was sure impressed. "Who else wants to come?" I glanced at Fang- he shook his head, and I felt another happy jolt just looking at him. He was amazing. He was handsome. He was all mine. He raised his eyebrows, and I realized I must have been grinning like an idiot. I quickly shut it down and took Nudge's hand. "Let's go."  
>~~~<p>

"Max?" Maya's voice was raspy and weak. Nudge maintained an iron grip on my hand as we stared, wide-eyed at Maya. Dylan sat beside her, holding her hand, and the look in his eyes was exactly the same as when he used to look at me. Except now, when he looked at me, his eyes didn't look so lovesick.

I discovered, right then, that it didn't bother me. At all.

"I feel bad for you, Maya," I said to her. "I really do. The doctor is such a dirtbag. If I could, I would jack his serum and give it to you."

She grinned, despite her weak state. She really _was_ like me. "It's not going to work that way, though. I don't know what to do. What would you do?" She squinted up at me.

I looked down at her sadly. But at the same time, I was happy, selfishly happy that I was not in her position.

Happy that I was her clone.

"I don't know either," I said softly. "But I know whatever you decide will be right. And don't be pressured by this guy either." I jabbed a finger in Dylan's direction. He looked up, nonplussed. "Good luck," I added, and my throat closed up.  
>~~~<p>

And we left after that. We still had tons to do to defeat the Doomsday Group. When we _did_ finish them off, though, I was hoping to come back and look for that serum for Maya. As antagonistic as our relationship was, she still felt like a sister to me.

We left the doc, Jeb and Dylan with Maya. There was nothing much we could do at this point- this decision was hers. I was glad I didn't have to make it.

After goodbyes, we set off into the distance. Fang had found a lead on another DG hotspot, and we were going to investigate. I hoped it wouldn't be too bad.

But as long as Fang kept looking at me the way he did, as long as he loved me and the flock loved me, I knew I could get through anything for them. For us.

And we walked off into the sunset, just like at the ends of cheesy movies. We would have flew, but Fang's gang couldn't fly for obvious reasons. Fang and I held hands- I knew that our relationship wasn't perfect. I knew we would have to put the flock above us and having our alone time. I knew that Angel was still memory wiped, that Maya was still in limbo, and we hadn't found my mom and Ella or found out what the doc and Jeb had been doing. I knew we still had to defeat the Doomsday Group.

But I also knew that as long as we were all together, everything would be all right.

**Now it's just the FAX epilogue left guyz! Review this chapter! I read every single review and I can not tell you how amazing you all are.**


	21. The EpiFAXlogue

I was having a strange dream- I lay on my back in a meadow at sunset, staring up at the brilliant sky splashed with bright colours. Birds, thousands and thousands of birds, flew above me, so close to my body that they actually skimmed my lips, each one of them did. Yet I didn't move, or bat them away. It was somehow serene, but I knew if this was in reality I would have gone crazy trying to shield myself from the birds' erratic flying.

The sensation in my lips grew warmer. Uh, friction? Why was I starting to feel all hot and bothered? What a weird dream. I closed my eyes, opened them again, and Fang was kissing me. In my dream. I responded instantly, wrapping myself around him, loving the feel of him.

I woke up, and Fang was _kissing_ me awake.

"Awake now?" he asked, his face an inch from mine, solemn as usual. Laughter bubbled in my chest and I pushed him away playfully. He sat back on his heels, his eyes glowing.

"Why did you wake me up in the middle of the night?" I inquired breathlessly.

"My shift is over." The older kids in the group were taking turns at night on watch. You could never be sure, not in our world. "Want to go for a fly?"

_Yes! Yes!_ My mind screamed. Uh, that definitely wasn't the Voice. But it seemed the Voice had taken a leave of absence lately. I controlled myself, to protect my dignity. "Sure," I answered coolly.

While I got out of my sleeping bag, Fang woke up Ratchet.

"Wha... I'm next watch?" Ratchet groaned. "I was hoping you'd just skip me for one night." He glanced over at me, then back at Fang. "Ooh, I see. Going for a romantic late-night excursion, are you?"

I flushed, but Fang replied, "Something like that, yeah."

"Well, don't let me slow you down." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"God help me," I muttered, and jumped out the window.

We flew for a while, close together, not speaking. We didn't need to- we were that comfortable in each other's presence.

It was a couple days after we'd left Maya in the poor care of Dylan and the doctor and Jeb. We were on our way to crashing another Doomsday Group rally, and tonight we had found some poor sap's holiday home to stay at. They'd had tons of food in the pantry, and I felt decidedly content as I spotted a niche in the cliff, cozy for both of us. This time, Fang didn't one-up me. Maybe he saw a cave, but he shut up about it to be a gentleman.

We just lay around together for a while, the two of us snuggling up. It was kind of chilly. A thought occurred to me. "Fang?"

"Hmmm?" His face was nestled in my hair. Why he loved my hair so was totally beyond me.

"Can you check the back of my neck?"

He understood my train of thought instantly, and sidled behind me. His fingers brushed my throat, making me shiver, and he gently brushed my static-prone hair aside. He let out his breath.

"What?" I asked anxiously.

"It's gone. Completely faded away."

I grinned. "Excellent."

He removed his hand from my neck and instead slid his arms around my waist from behind, causing me to hyperventilate uncontrollably. He chucked. "Calm down."

"I _am_ calm," I insisted, but I inhaled sharply as he pressed my body against his, his hands doing something wonderful to me.

"You're always tense. Relax." His hands moved to my shoulders, massaging and soothing. I started to loosen my muscles.

Fang turned me around to face him, grinning. "That's better." Then he swooped in and kissed me.

And I kissed him back. Madly. I wanted him, I loved him, and now I had him, and I had to wonder what angelic thing I'd done to deserve him. "I think I love you," I told him huskily.

"You _think_?" he asked with fake horror, but his eyes sparkled at my words. I leaned forward and kissed him again, loving the feel of my face, my lips, against his. My hands twined into his silky dark hair, and his hand brushed my hip... and over a small lump in my pocket.

"What's this?" He frowned, and glanced at me. I shrugged, equally puzzled.

Before I could object, his hand slipped into my pocket, and his fingers, only thin cloth away from my thigh, made my cheeks warm. His fingers closed around whatever was in my pocket and pulled it out to examine it in the light.

The ring.

Fang's ring. The one he'd given to me on our last birthday. My breath caught, looking at it after such a long time- it was so beautiful. And he'd given it to me.

Fang's eyes held a look of wonder to them as he gazed at the ring. Finally his eyes sought mine.

"You kept this?"

I nodded mutely, unable to speak right then because of the emotion in his voice. I cleared my throat.

"I wanted to remember you," I said softly. "In case..." I didn't need to finish the sentence. We both knew what I meant. In case things never were okay between us. If things were different.

"You didn't keep the letter?" He asked with mock outrage.

I smiled. "It's back at home, in Arizona. I thought it might get damaged on the journey."

"You really do love me," he said. I nodded my agreement. He smiled. "So do I. It's hard not to, isn't it?"

I rolled my eyes. "Just kiss me, will you?"

He obeyed.

And sitting there with him, kissing, as the rising sun painted the face of the cliff brightly and illuminating our faces, it was the best thing I could think of happening to me. My flock was safe, the Doomsday Group was about to go down, I wasn't going to expire, and best of all right now, I was with Fang.

It was almost like how things used to be before.

Except better.

THE END


	22. Author's Note

**I hope you guys enjoyed the epilogue! :D And the whole story, for that matter!**

**I just wanted to say, thank you, so much guys, everyone who read and reviewed and followed this story to the end. I've spent an hour every night for what, three, four weeks writing this fanfic and I definitely would have given it up a looong time ago if it weren't for you. In fact, even though I'm no longer writing this story, that doesn't mean I won't be reading and respond to reviews. I have read and will read every review, and I genuinely cherish your words, because you are so awesome and sweet!**

**I know some of you are wondering what will happen to Maya. Truth is, I'm wondering too! I just am not confident that I know Maya as a character well enough to make that decision for her. So I left it out of the story.**

**I've not had any other ideas for fanfics so far, but when I get some inspiration I'll be back writing stories- in the meantime, I'll just be reading them. And I'll start with your guys's!**

**Until next time,**

**LaughingSenselessly**


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